Insulating fastening means for rails.



A. F. BROWN.

INSULATING FASTENKNG NEANS FOR RABLS,

APPLICATION HLED FEB.15,1915.

g g g ggg Paentedune s, 1915! i-uclinnl sectional Specification of Letters Eatent.

someones-2o June 8, l ifin Appiieetion 5.12mi Eebruary 15, 30915. Serial No. 3,275.

\ (ZZZ whom it may comer-n:

B shown that l, Anonsrns l BROWVIHI a citizen of the United States, SKllZlg :ii I s e ileyre cle Graoe. in thecount-y of and State of lilar rlancl have invenieo cer tain. new and useful Improvements in 111- sulating Fasiening Means for Rails, 01 which the following is a specification I l invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fastening Llevioes for rails and more particularly to fasiening de vices for rails which are eleetriczilly ener gizecl and used in signaling like sys- 681318, and the invent-ion consists of the parts and the wrist-rneiions arrangements and combinations pares which 1 will hereinafter clesorihe and claim.

A leading objeofi of the invention is to provirle an improved insulated fastening means which is so oons nruoiecl as to pen mit the partsthereof to be seeurecl one to the other when nositioneil and yell Will allow the rail. to have a movement longitudinally and *ertically relatively to the tie.

23 other object of the ini'eniion resicles in providing s fastening means which is simple and durable in oonstrueiion, inexpensive to inanufsetiire and which will he very efficient anti useful in opersiion.

A further object of the invention resides in providing an improved fastening which will enable a short circuit to be readily detected by the application of an ammeter used in connection with the rail and a portion of the fastening means.

In the accompanying ilrawings forming a par of this specification and in which sim ilar reference characters indicate like parts in the several rieWs;--lligure l is a longiview of 2 part of ii railway iiie showing my improved fastening means applied thereto. Fig. is a perspective View '5 one of the insulating plates removed. is a similar View of one or the pro plates removed Fig. 4 is a. perspeo sire i'iew of an insulating plate of slightly modified form. Fig. 5 is a perspec-iire View or" a metal plate of modified form.

The present invention is an improvement of the insulaiing fastening means substantially as shown and described in the prior Patent No. 1,18%,660, slated July 521, 191 2 the leading feet-ore of iznprovemenh over the solopatentbeing in making the insulating one protecting plates thereof with the open centers and with down-turned flanges at the centers Wlllfill serve as guides which permit oi x,lignt- Vertical movement of the rail, when in posision, relatively to the lie, but which secure the protecting and insulating plaies in position on the tie, while allowing the rail to creep or inoi'e longitudinally, as I will hereinafter explain.

in the aforesaid flrawing, 10, represents a railway tie of suitable construction. This tie may he of pressed steel or malleable iron, or of other niafierizil and "for purposes of illustrs ion 1 hare shown the tie assuhstonolisraeter {llSClOSQil in my prior Prisons lie. i 015 167, oaiecl October 2'7, 19%,- a cl which bl? is pr vide ci neer each end w A a vertical opening, ll, at each side of which is formed 2i spike receiving recess, 12, in bo which are driven the spikes 13, which secure the base flange oi "the rail, 1%, to the tie, but it will be obvious that the present improvements may be used in connection with any form of rail-tie having an opening or a depression unelerlying the rail anclmade siiflieiently leap to soeommoolaie the novel features oi the present invention, which I will hereinafter more fully explains In she former E sie/ntllo. 1,16%,660, be- 7 fore sllnclecl to, there is shown a. combined insulating and fastening means which comprises suitable proi-eefiirlg and insul ting plates and the leading features of the pres ent invention are identified with these plaies. in the former patent, the plates, both protesting and insulating, constitute siibstiinvtially rail chair and Moor" single pieces extending transversely across beneath in base of the rail having-end flanges and projecing tongues which are designed to be bent over and onto the base lounge of the rail.

lie central giorision of the l roteeting encl insnlstin platex of the prior patent are fOll'IlQEl videpression, whereby one plate is fitted into lowermoss of the plsies fits s slightly clegiressed portion of the tie, for she purpose of aiding in retaining the chair or plates in place on the tie, a leading object of the neste en illeo zher and the aforesaid patent being, to insulate the rail from the metallic tie and to maintain the insulation in place by depressing the central portions of the metal and insulatlng plates; also to provide a metallic plate for the purpose of detecting defective insulation.

The depressing of the metallic and insulating plates of the former patent anctfitting the depressed portion of one plate lnto the corresponding socket portion of another plate, provided an interlock between the plates aswell as between the lowermost of i the plates and the railway tie, which latter had a socket or depressed portion to receive the corresponding portion of'the lowermost plate. Extensive investigation and experimenting with the patented construction before alluded to has developed that a metal tie in use should remain stationary in a horizontal direction and have but little up and down movement, while the rails should be permitted to move up and down between the chair and the spike headl lrovision should also be made to allow the rail to move longitudinally but without'disturbance of the position of the insulating and protecting metal plates.

The depression of the central portions of the metal and insulating plates of the patented construction are not thought to be suf-" ficient in all cases to ,iiaintain. the plates in position,'especially when the rail has an up and downmovement, and at the same time a longitudinal or creeping movement, either caused by the trains themselves or by ex-,

pansion and contraction. This has been largely due to the inability of depressing the fibrous or insulating plates suiiicient to ove'rcome the distance the rail will lift the plates in its up and down movement, and at the same time of overcoming any horizontal slipping of the insulating or metal plates,

one relatively to the other, or to the tie, when the tie and rail are operating under working conditions. v

Experiment has shown me that if the depression in the aforesaid plates was carried through until both the metal and fibrous insulating plates formed below the rail seat lips or projections which extend for a substantial distance below the upper surface of the tie, the possil ility of the insulating plate getting outof pt =ition byslipping relatively to the. metal plates, would be overcome.

To this end and to provide a simple andeifective means for insuring the proper position of the metal and insulating plates, one on the other and on the tie, and yet provide for the longitudinal and vertical movement of the rail, I construct the metal plate, 15, and the interposed insulating plate, 16, with open, centers and dmvn-turned fianges. This may be done by any well known and approved method; for instance, by slitting'the plate and bending down the slit portions to tical because the movement of the tie against form the vertical flanges, 17, 17, which flanges may be bent down into engagement *with each other and with the flanges of the lowermost or metal plate, 15, in engagement with the opposite walls of the opening '7 formed in the tie directly below the rail seat. When this is done it will be observed that these assembled down-turned flanges are guided by the wall of the aforesaid opening and that the combined metal and insulating plates, which have the projections, 18, corresponding to the aforesaid patented construction and which projections are bent over each other and onto the base flange of the rail, will pe mit the chair thus formed to rise'and fall, as a whole, with the rail and relatively to the stationary tie. At the same i time, the aforesaid flanges, 17, 17, byengagement with the walls of the opening in the tie, retain the assembled plates in position on the tie, without possibility of horizontal disengagement. of the plates, while permitting the trail to creep or move longitudinally relatively to the tie. Thus, ample provision is made for the longitudinal and vertical movement of the rail, which is found to exist in actual practice, while insuring the proper position of the several plates relative to each other-and to the tie.

lVhile I may use single or continuous metal and insulating plates as in the prior construction, but having open centers and down-turned flanges, as described, I prefer, as a matter of economy and to cheapen and facilitate replacement of a damaged or broken plate, to form the metal plate, 15, and the insulating plates, 16, in similar sections each section representing about one-half the width of the combined plate and each section having at its outer side the up-turned flange, 19, and tongue projection, 20, as in v the patented construction, .before mentioned, and each of said sections having on two opposite edges of its center opening, the down-turned flanges, 17, 17, before mentioned, and which flanges serve projections which enter for a substantial distance into the tie, and thus form a vertical guide for the chair and a retaining means to pre: vent the chair from moving horizontally on the tie. This insures the railfiinsulating parts of my in'lproved construction from getting out of place due to the vertical movement of the rails or to the longitudinal creeping of the same. 5 4

It is to be desired that the guideflanges, 17. 17, before mentioned should beat the inner portion of the plates and engage the walls of an opening'or recess formed in the tie substantially below the rail seat thereof, because-if the plates were provided with a flange or lip on the outside to eti'tend down on the outside of the chair insteadof in the center, the construction would be impracthe road ballast would cause the downturned fiangessoon to be mashed, broken or straightened and to become, therefore, ineffective tor maintaining the insulating and protecting plates in place and on the chair.

A further advantage in making the metal and insulating plates in sections is that the plates are interchangeable with the 5, 52; and inch rail; if the plates are in one piece it is necessary thatplates of different size be employed for each size of rail.

While plate as being of a fibrous nature, I Wish it understood that I do not limit my invention to this material, but by the term insulating I mean to include any material which will serve to insulate the rail from the various metal portions which are carried on the tie and prevent a short circuiting of the current with which the rail is charged. If a short circuit should occur from anyeause, the same may be detected by an ammeter applied to athin metal plate, 21. interposed between insulating plates,' as in the former Patent No. 1,104,680. and which ammeter will indicate the leakage and the operator may then determine approximately at what portion of the line of rails, the short circuit occurs, as disclosed more fully in the aforesaid prior Patent No 1,104,660.

/Vhile I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the oil minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rail fastening and insulating means, the combination with a rail and atie having a rail seat and an opening below the same, a chair interposed between said rail and seat having a plate of insulating material on which the rail rests said chair having an opening and said insulating plate having a bottom projection entering said opening and forming therewith a vertical guide which permits the chair to move vertically but prevents a relaQive horizontal movement between the chair and tie.

2. In a rail fastening and insulating means, the combination with a railand a tie having a rail seat and an opening below the same, of a chair interposed between said rail and seat and including a metallic memher and a member of insulating material thereon, said metallic member having an opening alincd with the opening in the tie and said insulating member having a projection on its under side to enter the opening in the metallic member for asubstantial tyhave mentioned the insulatingdistance and to engage the Walls thereof to prevent the horizontal movement of the their relatively to said tie.

3, In a rail fastening and insulating: means, the combination with a rail and a tie having a rail seat and an opening helow the same, of a chair interposed hetween rail and seat, said chair comprising a plate and a vplate of insulating materia ing thereon, each of said plates he openings adapted to he alined with other and with the opening in the tie, one of said plates having a projection ent ing the opening ofthe other plate and the opening in the tie whereby the chair is held against horizontal movement of and rela tively to the tie.

*l, Ina rail fastening and insulating means, the combination with a rail and Ia tie having a rail seat and an opening below the same, of a metallic tie plate formed of insulating and non-insulating members, said members having bottom flanges projecting below their central portion and for a suh- ,stantial distance into the opening of the tie, and forming flanges which permit a vertical movement of the chair without removing the flanges from their engagement with the walls of said opening.

5. In a rail fastening and insulating means, the combination with a track rail and a tie therefor, said tie having rail seat and an opening below the same, of a met-alio chair mounted on said tie and an insulating plate applied thereto, means forming interlocking engagement between said chair and insulating plate, said means comprising substanti lly vertical flanges projecting down wardly from said chair and plate and arranged in parallel close relation y the chair and" sulating plate are held against horizontal displacement one relatively to the other.

i in a rail fastening. and insulating means, the combination with a track rail and a tie therefor, said tie having a rail seat and an opening below thesame, of a metallic chair mounted on said tie and an insulating plate applied thereto, means forming interlocking engagement between said chair and insulating plate, said means comprising vertical flanges projecting downwardly from said chair and plate and arranged in parallel close order whereby the chair and insulating plate are held against hOTiZOIltfL displacement one relatively to the other, said flanges extending for a substantial distance into the opening in the tie and engageable with the walls thereof, whereby the chair and in ulatmg plate and tie are held against movement prising an insulating plate receiving the base flanges oi the rail thereon, a protecting plate conforming substantially to the insulating plate and receiving the latter thereon, said insulating and protecting plates having flanges projecting substantially vertically from their under surfaces and, for a substan tial distance into said opening and fitting one within the other, and adapted to retain the chair and the tie against relative movement. l

8. In a rail fastening and insulating means, a chair comprising a pair ofinsulating plates, and metallic spacing means therefor, said plates and spacing means having flanges projecting from the central portion of their under surfaces and one within the other whereby the flanges interlock to prevent relative movement between the plates and spacing means.

9. ln a rail fastening and insulating means, a chair comprising a pair of insulating plates, metallic spacing means therefor and a metallic protecting plate, said insulating plates, spacing means and protecting plate having open centers with flanges extending vertically below the'saine and one within the other whereby said plate and spacing means are held in interlocked position against relative movement in a horizontal direction.

- 10. In a rail fastening and insulating means, the combination with a rail and a tie having a rail seat and an opening below the same, of a chair comprising a pair of insulating plates, metallic spacing means therefor, and a metallic protecting plate to the in sulatingplate, said insulating plates, spacing means and metallic protecting plate having open centers with flanges extending downwardly from the walls of the openings for a substantial distance into the opening in the lie and forming with the walls of the lastnanied opening a guide winch permits the chair to have a vertical movement relative to the tie.

11. In a rail fastening and insulating means, the combination with a rail and a tie having a rail seat.v and an opening below the same, of a chair comprising a'pair of insulating plates, metallic spacing means therefor, and a metallic protecting plate for the insulating plate, said insulating plates,

spacing means and metallic protecting plate having open centers with flanges extending downwardly from the walls of the openingsand for a substantial distance into the opening in the tie and forming with the walls of the last-named opening a guide which having flanges extending from the under surfaces of its central portion for a substantial distance. v

13. In a rail fastening, a chair formed of interchangeable sections each, of said sections having an opening in its center with flanges depending for a substantial distance from the walls offlsaid openingl In testimony whereof I afiir my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

AUGUSTUS FREEBORN BROWN. 'W'itne'sses: i

J. \VEsLEY CARVER, M. FALvY. 

